Category: Theology

The Gospel in Ephesians

At the heart of all of Paul’s letters is the Gospel. It was clearly his belief that a restating of how and why we are saved is what we need if we are to live godly lives.  This is true in Ephesians as well.  Whilst some of his themes, most notably justification are not mentioned… Continue reading The Gospel in Ephesians

Faith

Jesus’ preaching and miracle working is drawing crowds but we also get to see Jesus’ interactions with individuals who are called to follow him.  How will people respond? The hostility of Scribes and Pharisees is contrasted with the faith of others who believe in Jesus, receive healing and follow him. 9.1 Read Luke 5:1-11 Jesus… Continue reading Faith

The preacher

Jesus’ baptism and temptation mark the beginning of his public ministry.  Jesus returns from the Jordan river and begins preaching, visiting synagogues on the Sabbath and addressing the crowds which begin to be drawn to him as he starts to do miraculous signs and heal the sick.[1] Note that Matthew specifically links this with John’s… Continue reading The preacher

New Exodus

After his baptism, Jesus goes into the wilderness or desert region around the Jordan river. He spends forty days there, fasting and experiencing temptation from Satan.  Mark sums this up in a few lines: 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted[g] by Satan. He was with… Continue reading New Exodus

Heralded

The sudden appearance of John on the scene, proclaiming a message of repentance is captured by all of the Gospel writers.[1] John introduces his namesake as the first significant event in his Gospel. He portrays those coming to him as curious and trying to identify him.  It seemed that an Old Testament figure had re-emerged… Continue reading Heralded

Arrival

Matthew and Luke both provide accounts of Jesus’ birth with Luke going on to provide further detail about his infancy up until the age of 12.  Whilst Mark and John do not include such narratives, John does make this brief but theologically explosive statement. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”[1] The imagery there… Continue reading Arrival

Predestination in Ephesians

One of the most controversial statements in the New Testament is found in Ephesians 1:5 where it says: “ he[b] predestined us” It’s controversial because if God has determined from eternity what will happen to us, then where does that leave free will. It seems that everything has already been decided. If, God “chose us …before the foundation… Continue reading Predestination in Ephesians

Introducing Jesus

There are four Gospels or accounts focusing on the life of Jesus.   John stands distinct from the other three with Matthew, Mark and Luke being referred to as The Synoptic Gosels meaning that they can be read together. This is due to the fact that there appears to be a significant overlap of source material… Continue reading Introducing Jesus

The Spirit in Ephesians

A central theme in Ephesians is the work of the Holy Spirit.  If this is a letter about God’s purpose for his church, about how to be united in love as his alternative society and about standing firm in spiritual warfare, then the Holy Spirit is crucial to all of that. But before Ephesians is… Continue reading The Spirit in Ephesians